Early directorial effort by Spielberg from the Peter Benchley potboiler. A tight, very scary, and sometimes hilarious film about the struggle to kill a giant great white shark that is terrorizing an eastern beach community's waters. The characterizations by Dreyfuss, Scheider, and Shaw are much more endurable than the shock effects. Memorable score. Sequelled by "Jaws 2" in 1978, "Jaws 3" in 1983, and "Jaws: The Revenge" in 1987. Look for Benchley as a TV reporter.